Google Knol — Vanity Publishing Fails Again
Google Knol is fading fast. Why didn’t it work? And when will it be put out of its misery? Meanwhile, Google opens the doors on a faster, more accurate version of its search engine.
The Strength of Weak Ties: Why Twitter Matters in Scholarly Communication
The special nature of Twitter makes it ideal for information sharing, and allows it to exploit the links that matter most for information dissemination — the weaker links in the social space.
Ghostwriters & Ghostresearchers: Supernatural Forces in Scholarship
Ghostwriters and unnamed contract researchers might scare up controversy, and frighten away the truth. And they’re only part of the problem.
Why Everything Sucks
Why does the world suck so much right now? Craig Ferguson provides a fairly compelling hypothesis.
Interview with Jason Roberts from the ISMTE Annual Conference
An audio interview with Jason Roberts, founder of the ISMTE, recorded after a keynote in Baltimore Tuesday.
Will Feudalism Fade from Knowledge Exchange?
Feudalism was a necessary step in social organization, but is it the end-state for academic organization? A number of related events this past weekend make me think not.
Diversion, Invention, and Socialized Medicine
A study of social citation reveals diversion, invention, and distortion, and provides a cautionary tale about how socialization of knowledge in medicine can have downsides.
Research4Life’s Dubious Claims and Missing Report
Free scientific journal access programs claims to boost article output in developing countries. A deeper analysis of the data shows otherwise.
Service or Content? Another False Choice
The more arguments I hear about service vs. content, the clearer it seems that this is a false choice.
Journalism and Driving — Technology Enables Amateurs
Amateurs with similar machines as professionals have emerged before. Instead of travel, this time, it’s information.
A Gate-keeping Failure at Morgan Stanley
When a teenager is allowed to publish a report under the name of Morgan Stanley, the results show that an important gate-keeping function failed.
The Francis Collins Controversy
The overtly religious views of Francis Collins, nominated to run the NIH, is creating a controversy deserving of careful attention.
Me Want Coffee Shop, Mr. Librarian!
Did a childhood character unleash a desire to mix libraries with snacks?
Playing Two Ends Against the Middle
Anderson says Free is the “future radical price.” Gladwell says free may not be the future. Godin simply says “Malcolm is wrong.” Why are all the arguments so polarized?
Paying for Peer-Review — or, What We’ve Learned from Financial Watchdogs
A common systemic problem links oversight of financial risks and author-pays peer-review. Both are potentially calamitous.